Football: PSG players set for million euro bonus for winning C1

PARIS - Paris Saint-Germain players are in line for a record million euro bonus (S$1.8 million) should they go on and win the Champions League for the first time this season, French media revealed on Thursday.

According to sports daily L'Equipe, the highest bonuses in football history are set to be handed out to the Ligue 1 leaders as reward from their cash-laden Qatari owners, QSI (Qatar Sports Investments), for reaching and winning the May 24 final in Lisbon.

The paper said that it was top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic who negotiated the package with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, with whom he has a strong relationship.

The previous highest bonuses handed out were in the region of 800,000 euros that Bayern Munich players pocketed for their Champions League triumph last season as well as winning the German title and German Cup.

Real Madrid players are in line to pick up a paltry 500,000 euros (£417,000, $688,000) in comparison should the Spanish giants go on and win a record extending 10th European Cup.

Laurent Blanc's PSG side are eight points clear in Ligue 1 and also set to play in the French League Cup final against Lyon on April 19.

The team go into Friday's quarter-final draw (11h00 GMT) in Nyon, Switzerland along with Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, Real, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United.

First-leg ties are set for April 1 and 2 with the return fixtures one week later.

Marseille remain the only French club to win the Champions League when they defeated AC Milan 1-0 in 1993.